Liverpool will come back stronger, says Rodgers

ESPN staff

May 10, 2014

Rodgers: Liverpool must focus on our own game

Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool will come back stronger next year - regardless of whether they win the title on Sunday or not.

Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League for the first time were in their own hands two weeks ago, but defeat to Chelsea followed by a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace have seen Manchester City take pole position.

Liverpool must now win their final game against Newcastle and hope Manchester City are beaten by West Ham. A point will be enough for City, thanks to their far superior goal difference.

And while Rodgers insists "it is not over", he revealed the pain he felt at Selhurst Park as Palace came back from 3-0 down with 10 minutes to go to snatch a point.

"The Palace game was probably the lowest I have felt in football, and you could see in the faces of the players how it affected them," he told the Daily Mirror.

"But a great deal of learning will come out of that game. It is a great reference point for the likes of Jon ¬Flanagan, Raheem Sterling, Joe Allen and Philippe Coutinho.

"All of these players are going to go through this again and they are going to be better prepared for it.

"This is one of the best pushes for the league we have had as a club for 24 years, and you never know. We are still in it to the very end of the season, it's certainly not over. If West Ham can go to Spurs and win 3-0, they can certainly go to City and win - ¬especially if you have a guy like big Andy Carroll up front with the quality he has.

"But if it doesn't work out, we will learn from those ¬experiences and I can guarantee we will be better next time.

"We want to be challenging at the top of the league, and the biggest thing that comes out of this season is belief. Can you imagine Jordan Henderson, ¬Sterling, Flanagan, Coutinho, even Steven Gerrard - all of the players can actually believe now.

"We have been going on about it all season, but when they go away and reflect, they will ¬actually know we can do it. That is half the battle."